IIT-Guwahati opens new chapter with school for data science, artificial intelligence

GUWAHATI: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-G) on Wednesday signed a MoU with the Mehta Family Foundation (MFF), US, to set up the Mehta Family School of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (AI) at IIT-G. The first batch of B.Tech students for this school will be admitted through JEE in the academic year 2021- 22.
Apart from providing time and expertise for academic and research activities in this new school, distinguished professors from top US universities will act as strategic advisers for the school.
The collaboration to set up the Data Science and Artificial Intelligence school will usher in new opportunities for students at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The MoU was signed virtually by Prof. TG Sitharam, director of IIT-G, and Rahul Mehta, chief executive officer at Mehta Family Foundation, in the presence of a galaxy of luminaries and Dr Rajiv I Modi, chairman, board of governors, IIT-G, and Prof. Krishnaswamy Vijayraghavan, principal scientific adviser to the government of India, as the chief guests, and Prof. Sandeep Verma, secretary at the science and engineering research board, as the special guest.
“IIT Guwahati has always endeavoured to play a leading role by diversifying the flavour of its academic programmes. The Data Science and Artificial Intelligence school is another important initiative at IIT Guwahati that will bridge the gap of highly skilled personnel that exists in these emerging fields. I take this opportunity to thank the Mehta Family Foundation for its enormous support in establishing this school, which will offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, B.Tech in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence from this academic year,” said Prof. Sitharam. He was hopeful that the school would be able to attract the best talents in the country.
As an outcome of this MoU signing, MFF will provide support for the development of the school’s infrastructure and programmes at the IIT-G campus.
Highlighting the collaboration between IIT-G and the Mehta Family Foundation, Rahul Mehta, chief exective officer of MFF, said, “Just as computer science changed the world, data science and artificial intelligence are posed to do the same. These fields will shape the methods used in education and research across the spectrum of human knowledge.” Global interdisciplinary collaborations as envisioned in this new school will lift our understanding of society and nature. Bringing together global talents such as Professor Shankar Subramaniam, Professor Rajesh Gupta (both Univ of California, San Diego), and Professor Ananth Grama (Purdue Univ) can accelerate the expansion in these fields. IIT Guwahati has the vision of the new talent India needs. Together we will build the framework for the future,” Mehta added.